Because I met your family
by MyfinalfantasyVII
Summary: Tifa and Rufus, the perfect college couple.  Winter break has come and Rufus has invited to take Tifa to his home to meet his family.   Oh great!  Huh, well at least his chocobo looking half-brother is good looking.
1. Winter Break

**Author's note: Yay! My first story. I'm really excited with this stroy and I hope that everyone will like it. It came to me out of nowhere so I started typing the first chapter today when I should be dong my homework W I already have some ideas for the next chapter and I have a feeling that its going to be a funny chapter. Warning: Some characters may be out of character. Anyways, I hope you enjoy. I tried to make Rufus seem like a jerk. Tell me what ya think.**

Chapter 1: Winter Break

The leaves have already fallen and have been replaced by the chill of winter, with a thick layer of white fluff covering the dead grass. The pathways have been shoveled clean, leaving dirty slush from all the busy students rushing to class. University of Midgar is full of life, student running to the library, class or their dorm room. The coffee stand has a line miles long with each member of the school bundled up from head to toe waiting eagerly for just one cup of delicious, warm caffeine. Soon, however, the campus will be empty, with winter break close on the horizon.

Finals are such a stress. Sitting in classrooms trying to remember everything learned from the beginning of the term. Tearing your room apart to try to find the notes you need to study for this monstrous exam. All the late night cram sessions, with endless amounts of caffeine surging through your body. All the days of wanting to pull your hair out from all the stress. Everything we have done is about to pay off.

The room is completely silent except the scribbling of pencils on paper, the clock ticking away the time, and the occasional cough or sneeze. A single bead of sweat runs down a student's head, as he nervously chews on his bottom lip. He silently curses himself for all the late night screwing around when he should have been studying. Another student smiles confidently as he circles his answer and moves on the next question. The time continues to pass by slowly, and then finally a loud voice booms across the room. "Pencils down. Time is up. Place your exams on my desk on your way out. Have a good winter break."

Tifa steps out of her class, stretching her arms widely above her head and let out a long sigh. After such a long time of just sitting in the classroom without moving or talking, it felt good to just stretch her arms out. She had a good feeling about her exam. She had spent the last two weeks locked up in her room studying. All of her hard work has finally paid off. That was the last exam she had to take. She was done with all of her classes and winter break had officially begun for her.

After she had bundled up her coat and wrapped her scarf around her neck, she hesitantly pushed the door open and the chill of Jack Frost rushed against her warm skin. Forcing her legs to obey, she ventured out of the warmth of the building into the campuses' courtyard. The campus is so beautiful this time of year with all the powdery soft snow lightly covering the ground. If it wasn't for the cold, she would love to walk around the campus to take in all the sights. Because it was so cold she just wanted to get some hot coffee and go lay down in the warmth and the comfort of her bed.

Tifa hurried through the courtyard to the nearest coffee stand to be disappointed by the sight. The coffee line was extremely long, filled with students whose exams probably haven't started yet. Now she had to decide if coffee was really worth standing in that long line for. As she was pondering her decision, she heard her name yelled across the courtyard.

Looking across the courtyard, Tifa spotted her best friend jogging toward her, waving her arms above her head. Tifa loved her best friend but this girl was out of her mind for wearing that. The short raven-haired girl wore a mid-thigh navy blue pleated skirt with white above the knee socks. She wore black knee high laced kicks. Upon her chest was a light fashionable jacket that was only buttoned up halfway. Lastly, she wore a pair of gloves and earmuffs. Her friend finally jogged up to her slightly out of breath and greeted her with a, "Heya!"

"My god Yuffie, just what are you wearing? Did you not check the weather report before you stepped out the door today? You must be freezing!"

"Jeez, nice to see ya too," sighed Yuffie. "Anyway, I did happen to watch the news today, and yes I am freezing my cute little ass off."

"Then why are you wearing that," Tifa asked as she gestured to Yuffie's outfit.

"Why, you ask? Well, this outfit was just too damn adorable not to wear! Besides, the school girl outfit was perfect thing to wear for taking my exam today. My professor totally wants me, and I figured that the naughty school girl image might play a part in my grade," Yuffie said with a wink.

Tifa sighed and looked her best friend in the eye. "You're so delusional if you think that outfit of yours is really going to get you a better grade. Why didn't you just try getting the grade you want the old fashion way, studying!"

"Pshh, studying is for losers! Aha, no offense. Besides, I am way too busy to be wasting my time with something as stupid as studying. I have better ways of spending my time."

"Doing what?"

Yuffie was quiet for a moment before answering, "That doesn't matter. Anyway, how did your exam go?"

"It went really well. I knew a lot of the answers to the questions. I have no doubt that I'm going to get an A on my exam,"

"Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less of the Great Tifa!" Both girls laughed for a while before Yuffie questioned, "So, what are you doing out here?"

"Oh, well I was going to get some coffee but the line is really long and I'm really cold. I don't know if I really want to stand in this line or not."

"I'm totally up for some coffee. I'll stand in line with you." The girls got in line together, huddling close to try to keep warm with body heat. The line didn't seem to move fast enough but at least the girls had each other to keep company. After what seemed like hours, the girls were only a couple people from the front of the line. " So Teef, what are your plans for the winter break?"

"Nothing really, I don't have any plans. I'm thinking I'm just going to stay in my dorm room and stay in some pajamas and watch some tv or something. You?"

"Ugh, well I have to go home to see my dad over the break. I tried to figure out anything to keep me from going but my old man isn't having it. Besides, he already made arrangements to come get me. Can you believe him? He's always treating me like a child. What if I had something planed. God, that makes me so mad!"

The girls had finally reached the front of the line and ordered their coffee. The man got them their coffee rather quickly, making Tifa wonder why the line seemed to take forever. They both paid for their coffee and walked away, gripping it with hopes that the warm liquid would warm them. They walked in the direction of Tifa's dorm until Yuffie said, "Well, I would love to stay and chat, and believe me I would! But I have to be heading to my last class. I'll talk to ya later. Bye."

Tifa waved goodbye as she watched her friend run off in the opposite direction for a while. The coffee in her hand was already cooling down and was not providing any warmth whatsoever. Tifa turned back and rushed in the direction of her room. As she neared her building, warmth was the thought that consumed her mind. She picked up her already rushed pace and reached the door. She quickly opened the door and almost ran into the building slamming the door behind her. She could already feel the warmth thawing her frozen body.

She shuffled her feet as she made her way to the elevator. Normally she would take the stairs but she was too tired and cold. All she wanted to do was get to her room, change into some sweats, and climb under the covers on her bed. As she entered the elevator the anticipation grew. When the doors slide open, she nearly sprinted to her room, fumbling for her keys inside her bag. Tifa squealed in excitement as she pulled her keys from the depths of her bag and unlocked her door.

As she stepped into her room, she admired her room and the warmth it gave. Her room was simple, just the way she liked it. Well her side of the room was anyways. The room was painted a very soft, pale yellow. Her bed had a plain light blue comforter with an assortment of different sized pillows. Next to her bed was a wooden nightstand that held a picture frame with an old family photo in it, her mother's old jewelry box, and her father's favorite book. She had a desk that held various things. Her laptop, some books, a picture frame of Yuffie and herself, another picture frame with her boyfriend in it, and a bag that held all of her beauty supplies were on her desk with a couple of other odds and ends. She also had a dresser that held all of her clothes and atop it held her television and DVD player. Her room was nice, but it would be nicer if it wasn't for her roommate.

She had to share a room with Scarlet. There was just something about her that drove Tifa insane. In simple terms, she was just a total bitch. The room smelled like a baby prostitute because of Scarlet's perfume. Scarlet's side of the room was covered in the color red. Her bedspread was red, as well as her pillows. She had a vanity that was covered in various kinds of perfumes and make-up. She had a red sphere chair with her clothes in it and everywhere else on her side. Scarlet's dresser draws were open and a lot of clothing hung out. The good thing was that Scarlet was very rarely in their room. She was always off doing god knows what. Nevertheless, Tifa liked her room.

Tifa quickly pulled off her coat, gloves, hat, and scarf, tossing them onto her bed while she ran over to her closet and pulled out a pair of sweatpants. She quickly unbuttoned her pants and slid them down her long legs and putting her sweats on much faster. She also pulled a sweater over her head then went over to her bed to collect the clothing she had previously taken off. After cleaning up her mess she climbed under the covers of her comforter on her bed and grabbed her father's book and snuggled deep down in her bed and opened the book to the place she had last left off on.

After reading about two chapters, her cell phone began to ring. Tifa gazed over in the direction of where her phone was ringing and sighed at the distance. Tifa had left her phone in her bag which happened to be at the other end of her room. She ignored her phone and continued to read until her phone went off again. She glared at her bag and cursed her phone for being all the way over there. Hesitantly, Tifa climbed out of her bed and shivered from the cold air in the room. She dashed to her bag, and dug for her cell phone. At the last moment, she pulled out her phone and answered, "Hello?"

"Hey baby. I was wondering if I could stop by your place after my last class. I have something I want to run by you."

"Um, sure. What do you want to run by me?"

"I'll tell you when I get there. I have to go. Goodbye," and like that, the phone call was over. Well, that was weird. Tifa was starting to get nervous for some reason. _'What could he want to run by me? Why couldn't he just tell me now?' _

Tifa climbed back into her bed after changing into something a little bit more appealing and tried to distract herself from what was to come. It took awhile, but her book seemed to ease her nerves. She had gotten into her book again when there was a knock on the door. In an instant, her nerves came back and she stared at the door as the knock came again. Telling herself that she was being crazy, she got out of bed and slowly crossed the room. As she placed her hand on the door, she took a deep breath before turning the knob and opening door.

"What took so long for you to open the door? Jeez, no need to get all cute for me. I've seen you at your worst!" There Yuffie stood with a huge smile on her face, leaning on the door frame.

Instantly, Tifa's shoulders dropped and she let out a breath that she didn't even know that she was holding. Tifa greeted her friend with a warm smile and let her into the room. Tifa sat on her bed slightly climbing back under the covers and Yuffie inspected the mess that was Scarlet's. After looking through her roommate's things Yuffie plopped down on Tifa's bed, pulling on the cover's silently asking permission to get under. Tifa smiled and held open the covers for Yuffie, which she gratefully accepted and climbed under. After the girls were under the warm covers, Yuffie gave Tifa a puzzled look and asked, "So what was with all the tenseness you had when you answered the door? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Yuffie."

"I call BS! I could cut the tension with a knife, so spill. What's up?"

"Rufus called earlier…"

"What did that pretty boy say? Do I have to kick some rich kid's ass? You know, I knew there was something wrong with him. Ya know I've always had a knack for smelling out arrogant son of-.."

Tifa cut Yuffie off abruptly, "No, no, no! It's nothing like that."

Yuffie coughed a little before saying, "Aha, forget what I said about him just now. So, if it's nothing like that, then what?"

"Well, he called earlier and was asking to stop by later. He said that he had something he wanted to 'run by me'. I tried to ask him what it was about but he wouldn't answer me. He just said that he would tell me when he came by. I don't know why, but I just have a bad feeling about this Yuffie. I'm probably just worrying myself over nothing but…" Tifa sighed then continued, "I just don't know."

Yuffie smiled her trademark grin and gave a light punch to Tifa's shoulder. "Don't worry, Teef. Knowing Prince Charming, he probably wants to surprise you by taking you on some fabulous get away vacation, like Costa De Sol. You know, I would love to go to Costa De Sol instead of going home with my dad. Gah, this is so stupid... Oh, yeah, talking about your problems. Aha, so don't sweat it. Everything going to be fine" Yuffie stated with a wink.

Tifa smiled and hugged her best friend. Although Yuffie could be a little crazy sometimes and a little rambunctious, she was a good friend. She was always there when Tifa needed her. "Thanks, Yuffie. You made me feel better."

"Of course I did! That's what I am here for," Yuffie said with a smile. "So, when is Richy Rich coming over?"

"He said he was coming over after his last class was over."

"Ugh, school," Yuffie said as she contorted her face and stuck her tongue out, making Tifa laugh. "So when is that anyways?"

Tifa grabbed her phone, flipping it open to read the time. "Um, well actually his class should have gotten out like 10 minutes ago."

"Whoa! Let me get going so you can have your time with your man," Yuffie laughed at her last statement. "Richy Rich should be coming over any time now. Do me a favor?"

Tifa nodded her head, "Mmmhmm. Sure, what do you need?"

"Make sure you call or text me right after he invites you to Costa De Sol and tell me what happened?"

Tifa laughed at her friends question and answered, "Of course! You don't need to ask me to do that. You know I will. I can't keep my best friend in the dark. I'll call you the second he leaves and tell you that he has invited me to Costa De Sol. Hey and maybe next time you won't have to go with your dad and I can invite you with us," Tifa laughed and winked at her friend as she watched her best friend's eyes light up.

"Really? You would invite me!" Yuffie jumped up and down with excitement. "I'm holding you to that, mmkay. I'm going next time! Alright, well I'm going to get going. Don't forget to call me the second Bill Gates here leaves."

Yuffie bounced to the door and Tifa laughed, promising to her friend that she would call her the second Rufus had left. Not three minutes after her bubbly friend left, there was a knock at the door. Although Tifa wasn't as nervous as she was earlier, just a bit of nervousness leaked into her body. Tifa took a deep breath and walked confidently over to the door, opening it to reveal her boyfriend.

Rufus was very handsome. He had blonde hair with bright blue eyes. He was tall and sophisticated. Rufus comes from a wealthy family and always got the best in life. Every girl was in love with Rufus and his good looks, making Tifa the most envied girl on campus. They were the power couple of the university. Tifa never quite understood why everyone made such a big fuss over them. She was just a regular girl and he was just a normal guy. Of course there was the fact that he was rich, but was that such a big deal? Was everyone that shallow? Tifa could care less if Rufus was rich or poor. She liked him for who he was on the inside.

Rufus leaned in and kissed Tifa before inviting himself in her room. Tifa closed the door and followed him into the room. She sat on the bed and looked up at him as he looked around the room. Feeling a little uncomfortable, Tifa decided to break the silence. "So how did your exam go?"

"Fine. I came here to run an idea by you."

"Oh yeah," like she forget with it being the reason her stomach was in knots. "So what did you want to run by me?"

"I know you don't have any plans for the winter break since you have nowhere to go. I am going home this winter break to see my family…" Tifa began to tune him out after hearing that much. Her father was busy with work and wouldn't be able to spend much time with her if she went home for winter break and her mother had died when she was just a little girl. He was so careless with his words sometimes. That was the one thing that drove her crazy. He could be a total jerk sometimes. Oh and practically bragging about going home to see his family when he knew she couldn't. That was so rude! He could be such an insensitive jerk!

"Tifa! Hello!" Rufus said as he shook her. Tifa snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at her boyfriend. "Were you listening?"

"I'm sorry, Rufus. What were you saying?"

With an aggravated sigh, he repeated, "Would you like to join me this winter break and come to my home to meet my family?"

"Go home with you and meet your family?"

"Yes. Would you like to accompany me home or not?"

Tifa looked at him for a while. Meet his family… That was such a big step. They had only been dating for a couple months and he already wanted to take her home to meet his family. Was she ready for this step? She looked back at him once more and saw the look of annoyance in his eye. Well she better hope that she's ready to take this step in their relationship. Finally she responded, "Sure, I will go with you to your home."

"Good. Start getting packed. We will be leaving tomorrow morning." Tomorrow morning, is he serious? Rufus walked over and kissed her cheek, before saying his goodbyes and leaving her dorm.

Tifa sat there in shock. Tomorrow morning she would be leaving to meet her boyfriend's family. She sat there for a while before she finally came out of the shock. She had so much to do and so little time. She had to pack everything she would need to leave in the morning. Talk about short notice.

Tifa was about to start packing before she remembered something. First things first, time to call Yuffie. She punched in her friend's number and after a few rings said, "Yuffie?"


	2. And Where Did You Just Come From

**Authors note: I did not abandon this story! I am so sorry for the long update, school and work keeps this girl really busy. This chapter isn't the best because it is more of a describing chapter to really get into the characters so bear with me guys, it will get better. I would like to dedicate this chapter to iNuocmam, Bloc-9, ReNeVIerE07, lalalacanthearyou, and Stryper. I really appreciate your support and your comments. Your reviews gave me the encouragement to push on with chapter 2. Thank you again for your support. I hope you like this chapter as well :D**

**I must say what took me the longest for this chapter was describing Rufus's house. I'm sorry it's not very descriptive. I really don't know how to describe architecture. I did try my best, so I hope it was okay. **

Chapter 2: And Where Did You Just From?

With a yawn, Tifa stretched her arms and gazed out the car window to discover she had no idea where she was. Buildings continuously pasted her by, but nothing looked familiar. Was she still in Midgar? She couldn't be sure, everything looked much nicer then what she was used to. After watching the scenery for a while she concluded that she would never be able to quiet figure out where she was. She tried to think back to what lead her to this point.

After a long term of working and studying, her winter break had finally come. She had no real plans for her break until her boyfriend had asked her to go home with him to meet his family. Rufus's offer was short notice but she had agreed to go with him. She had spent the entire night trying to figure out what she needed to pack and packing all of her necessities. When she was sure she had everything she would need, she took a shower and got ready. Just as she decided to lay down to try to get some shut eye, Rufus had showed up at her door. She had loaded her things into Rufus's expensive car and they were soon on the road heading to his house.

Rufus had told her that his home was also in Midgar, but in a different part of Midgar. Then he started to go on about his car. That is when Tifa tuned him out and fell asleep from exhaustion. Now, she remembered what was going on. 'I guess he wasn't lying when he said it was in a different part of Midgar. If he wouldn't have told me where we were going, I would have never guessed that we were still in Midgar,' thought Tifa.

After watching the scenery for a while, spent in silence, Tifa looked over at Rufus. He looked peaceful yet at the same time very excited. It must have been a while since he had last seen his family. Tifa couldn't help but feel nervous to meet his family. The typical questions were bombarding her mind. What are his parents like? Would his parents like her and would happen if they didn't? What will his parents think of her because she did not come from a wealthy family like theirs? Would they treat her any differently because she was not wealthy? It's not like she was poor, but she was not rich either. She was right in the middle. She hoped that would be enough for his parent's standards.

Tifa had gotten lost in her thoughts for a long time, worrying herself more and more as time passed on. Rufus finally looked over to see that his girlfriend had woken up and had a look on her face. He couldn't really tell what that face meant but all he knew is that something wasn't right. He tried to focus on the road but he keep looking back to see that she still was deep in thought with the same face. Finally he decided to say something. "What's wrong with you?"

Hearing Rufus's voice yanked Tifa from her deep thoughts. She couldn't quite recall what he said so she asked, "What did you say?"

With a sigh, he responded, "What is wrong with you?"

Tifa gave him a puzzled look. "What's wrong with me," she whispered to herself. She was silent for a moment before asking, "What do you mean?"

"You look upset or something. What's wrong?"

"Nothing's really wrong with me. I'm just a little worried, is all."

"Worried about what?"

Tifa sighed before saying, "I'm just worried about meeting your family, you know? Like, what if your parents don't like me? What are they going to think about me, especially that I'm not in the same class as you?" Tifa was startled when she heard Rufus abruptly start laughing. 'What is he laughing at? I didn't say anything funny! I am really freaking out right now and all he is doing is laughing at me. He doesn't care that I'm really worried. He should be trying to comfort me and make me not worry so much.'

Rufus finally noticed the look of annoyance on his girlfriends face and calmed his laugh. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry for laughing, but it was funny. As for my parents not liking you, don't worry about that. I like you and that is all that matters. As for the money, my father won't approve of your financial situation. However, my father was in the same situation as I am now, dating a person underclass. He did the same thing with my mother. I can just point out the hypocrisy of the situation."

Tifa gave him a blank stare. 'He couldn't be serious. Like any of that is going to make me feel better. I can't believe he just told me that his father is not going to like me. I really don't even want to go anymore. I just want to go back to my own room and stay there for the winter break. That would be so much better than spending my break with people who don't like me because of how much money I have.'

Rufus could see the look in her eye that she still was upset. Rufus reached over and placed his hand on her thigh. Tifa looked down at his hand before her she looked back to him. When he saw that, he tried to reassure her, "Just don't worry about it. Everything will be fine. I promise."

Tifa wasn't sure whether or not to believe his words. He had already said that her financial situation was already going to influence his father's impression of her. How could she believe his words that everything was going to be fine? Tifa decided that she was going to trust Rufus's words for now. It was true that all that really mattered was Rufus's opinion of her. Of course, she wanted his parents to like her but if they didn't, all that mattered was Rufus. She also tried to tell herself that there was no use in worrying. She decided that she was just going to deal with the situation when it happened.

Tifa smiled at her boyfriend and placed her hand on top of his letting out a soft sigh. She turned her attention to the buildings passing her eyes. By judging the appearance of these buildings, she would guess that it couldn't be to long before they reached his parent's home. All of these buildings were so much nicer then what she was used to.

Tifa had grown up in the town of Nibelheim. You see Nibelheim wasn't anything like Midgar. It was a small little town at the base of Mt. Nibel. The population was nothing in comparison to Midgar. It was the type of community that everyone knew each other's business. For instance, when little Aria had started her period, it was the talk of the town for months. It wasn't a very rich town either. The houses weren't very big and the only money that was made was from the few travelers that came to the town and stayed at the in. To put it in laymen's terms, Nibleheim is nothing like Midgar in many ways.

Tifa continued to watch all the large buildings go by for what seemed like hours. She couldn't help but feel tired from gazing at the passing scenery. In all actuality, she was tired from staying up all night packing. She felt he eyes growing heavy and cursed Rufus for inviting her last minute and giving her no time to pack for this trip. She had already slept some on the way here but it wasn't sufficient enough to make her feel rested.

"Rufus, how much longer is it before we're there," she asked with a yawn.

"Mm… We should be there in a half hour or so."

"Mmkay," she replied as she let out a long yawn. They had a half hour or so before they got there. Tifa decided it wouldn't hurt if she just rested her eyes for a couple minutes. As she closed her eyes, she could feel sleep overwhelming her. Tifa tried to stay awake, but she had found that she was fighting a losing battle. Within a few minutes, Tifa had begun to doze off.

The car came to a sudden stop and waking Tifa from her short lived slumber. With a yawn, she lazily rubbed the sleep from her eyes, and then stretched her arms as far she could in the car. Sitting up straight, she looked over to Rufus to see a large smile spread across his face. Blinking a few times, she then turned her sight to the large building out of the windshield.

"We're here. Welcome to my home," Rufus said as he looked at his home with great pride.

Tifa stared with amazement at the place that Rufus called home. Tifa has never in her life felt so entirely small. His house wasn't really a house as far as she was concerned; it was more like a palace. His house was three stories tall, from what she could see and was in the shape of an U. His house was mostly a rectangular shape that had two circular balconies at each end of the u, on the upper floors, all of which had triangular roofs. There were also a couple of other balconies built into the house that did not protrude. This gave his house the look of a palace, rather than a home. The glow of the lights made the building's white exterior appear as if it was made of pure gold.

In front of the building stood a large rectangular fountain, where the water shot from the center. The main door, directly in the front of the house, looked as if it could fit a 20 foot pine tree through it with no problem. There were two bay windows at the end of the u-shaped building under the balconies and all of the balconies had French doors. The rest of the house had walls full with large windows. The two circular balconies had large porches that had rod iron railings. The third floor had circular shaped rooms protruding from the house that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Tifa could just image a princess being locked away in those towers, waiting for her prince charming to come and save her.

Tifa stood there in shock. She really could not believe that this building that Rufus was calling his home was an actual house. From the sheer size of this house, she could imagine everyone in her little home town living in here comfortably. She couldn't help but feel poorer then she actually was. She felt so tiny and insignificant.

She must have been standing there and gawking for a while because Rufus had shouted across the court yard, "Are you coming or not?"

"Oh," mumbled to herself and broke out into a slow run to catch up to her boyfriend. As she caught up to him, she slowed her pace to a jog and admired the building close up as she passed by. When they neared the front door, Tifa's nerves came back and she could feel the butterflies in her stomach. Once they stood infront of the door, she gripped his hand. Rufus looked down at her hand, then back at the door as he pushed the doorbell.

Tifa wondered why he would push the doorbell to his own house but it was merely a passing thought when a young woman in a maid's outfit answered the door. She was a tiny little thing, both in height and weight. She had medium brown hair was pulled up into a neat bun and her hazel eyes had so much exhaustion in them. She had small bags under her eyes that were lightly covered in make-up. She appeared very frail but didn't seem to care.

Rufus glided through the door, pulling Tifa along into the foyer. She muttered a quick thank you to the maid, who had an surprised expression on her face as she heard those words. Tifa was about to question the look on the young lady's face until she gazed around the room. The foyer was a rather large room, brightly lit by the enormous glass chandelier. Straight across from the main doors was a grand staircase that split into two. To the both the left and the right of Tifa were two hallways. There wasn't much furniture in this room, besides a coat rack and a couple tables along the walls. The room had a rather expensive looking carpet that ran down the stairs and to the main door.

The couple had stopped in the middle of the room and stood there for a minute or so. Tifa was admiring the room when she heard Rufus greet someone. She turned her head to see a strawberry blonde woman ascending the staircase with grace. She had blue eyes just like Rufus. Her strawberry blond hair was loose and came down a little past her shoulders. She had a tiny frame and the sundress showed off her hourglass figure. As the woman reached the bottom of the staircase, Rufus pulled away from Tifa's grip and strutted to the other women.

As he embraced the woman, Tifa questioned whether this woman was his sister until she heard him greet her again. "Mother, it has been a long time. How have you been?"

"Fine, dear. It has been long. You look good my son." She pulled away from their embrace and held her son by his shoulders at arm distance. She smiled approvingly and pulled him back into a tight embrace.

Rufus pulled back, looked his mother in the eye, and then gazed at Tifa. His mother followed her son's gaze and stopping on Tifa. Tifa felt uncomfortable under her intense gaze. After what seemed like an eternity, a soft smile pulled on the comer of her lips. "Well, isn't she just the prettiest little thing."

Instantly, Tifa felt at ease and let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She returned the smile and walked up to her holding out her hand, "Thank you so much. You are very beautiful yourself." The two girls shook each other's hands and the mother looker very flattered by Tifa's comment.

Rufus's mother playfully slapped her son's arm saying, "Rufus, hunny, don't be rude. Introduce me to this young lady that you have brought home."

Clearing his throat, he introduced her, "Mother, I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Tifa Lockhart. Tifa, I would like to introduce you to my mother, Catherin Shinra." The girls shook hands and exchanged pleasant greetings.

Catherin motioned to the maid and the maid went over to take their coats. Tifa awkwardly pulled off her jacket and handed it to the maid as Rufus just tossed his coat at the poor woman. "Well, lets get out of the foyer here. It's rude to stand here and greet guests in the foyer. Shall we go to the sitting room?" Catherin gestured to the hall on the right. After exchanging nods, the small group went down the short hallway into another large room.

Not to Tifa's surprise, the sitting room was as beautiful as the exterior of the house and the foyer. At the one end of the room was a wall full of windows and a French door that lead to what she assumed was the backyard. On the other end was another hallway that was lit by the sunlight that entered through the windows. Across from the hall that they had entered from was a large stone fireplace that looked as it had never been used.

Along the wall across from the French door, was a stand that held various different alcohols and a tray full of glasses. In the middle of the room was a large rug on which the furniture was atop. A love seat sat across the room from the fire place. On both sides of the love seat, were sofas, all around the glass table in the center. Centered above the fireplace, was a hand painted photo. It was a family portrait.

In the family portrait, it had a man that Tifa assumed was Rufus's father, a younger Catherin standing next to the man, and Rufus as a child. First, the man had a white tuxedo that looked to have some satin in it. He was tall, thin, and had a full head of hair. His ice blue eyes pierced through the painting and Tifa already felt intimidated. Next to him was Catherin. Her hair was up in a loose bun with strands of her face frame coming out. She wore an elegant, classy dress that hugged her curves nicely. She looked the same as she does now with the exception of a couple of wrinkles that are starting to form on her face. In front of them was little Rufus. He looked like he was maybe eight or nine and he still had baby fat on his cheeks. He wore a black tuxedo with his platinum blond hair slicked back and his blue eyes sparkling.

"We will have our usual." The maid quickly nodded as Catherin asked, "Tifa, darling, would you like anything to drink? We have it all."

"Just some water please. That would be very nice." Catherin nodded at the maid and the maid ran off to get the drinks. "You have a beautiful home here Mrs. Shinra. It is absolutely breathtaking."

"Why thank you Tifa. I am rather proud of it. I'm glad you came here for winter break dear. Rufus did not mention anything about bringing a girlfriend along with him but I loved the surprise. We will get the guest room set up for you right away."

"Thank you so much Mrs. Shinra. I do appreciate it."

"Oh it is no problem my dear." Catherin smiled warmly at Tifa but then turned her attention to her son and glared at him. "Had we known you were going to be here, we would have already had the guest room set up for you."

Tifa felt uncomfortable coming without any notice and with the look Catherin was giving Rufus she felt like some sort of nuisance. Rufus didn't seem to care though as he looked at his mother with a bored expression on his face. "Sorry mother."

"It's okay dear. We are happy to meet such a pretty girl." Tifa blushed and was about to thank her for the nice complement when she noticed everyone's attention turn elsewhere. She turned to look in the direction that they were looking to see a man stroll into the room. He had blonde hair, just like Rufus, with a mustache to match. He was kind of chubby, but his white suit seemed to fit him just right. He had a cigar in him mouth and looked like a very important man.

"Rufus, my boy, it is good to see you home!" The two exchanged a quick hug before Rufus pulled away to stand near Tifa. The man then seemed to glare at Tifa but no one else seemed to notice.

"Father, I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend Tifa Lockhart. Tifa, this is my father-"

His father quickly interrupted declaring, "Mr. Shinra to you Miss."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Shinra."

Rufus's father gave Tifa a dirty look before saying, "Charmed, I'm sure."

Tifa immediately could feel his distaste for her oozing off his body. She didn't know whether she wanted to backhand the man for being so rude or if she wanted to disappear into the corner of the room. She inwardly sighed to herself, making a note that this was going to be a long and uncomfortable break. She wondered if she even wanted to stay the entire time. The thought of leaving, going back to her dorm and staying in pjs all day seemed very appealing right about now.

They all made themselves comfortable sitting on the sofas as Mr. Shinra talked to his son about various business meetings and his agenda. Tifa sat very uncomfortably, pretending to listen to the conversation and looked interested but it was a hard thing to do. Not only did she not feel welcomed in the presence of her boyfriend's father but she felt completely lost trying to follow anything that was being said. Tifa eyed everyone else in the room and they all seemed to be entranced by the things that Mr. Shinra was saying.

After what seemed to be forever, and after dozens of made up scenarios to get out of this situation, Tifa had noticed that the family was getting out of their seats. She stood as well feeling as if it was the right thing to do, as she tuned back into the conversation.

"Well I am absolutely famished. I say that we should retire to the dining room and get some lunch." Tifa could hear the grumbling in the chubby man's stomach as he turned to leave the room. They all seemed like flies attracted to the light, following the man out of the room. Although Tifa did not feel happy about continuing to share her time with the man, listening to him rant and rave, she was glad to be getting something to eat. 'At least the food will give me something to do. Keep my hands occupied for a little while at least.'

Tifa had been following the group but she was so caught up in her thoughts that she fell behind the group. When she had finally noticed, they were gone and she had no idea where to go. Having remembered the simple route to the foyer, Tifa found herself hovering around the main stairwell. Glancing around the foyer, she couldn't help but feel totally helpless and lost. She had wished they had given her a grand tour of the place. 'Do rich people even do that?' she wondered. 'Or do they just expect you to figure it out all on your own. Man, I wished they had given me a map at least.'

Using her common sense, she figured the dining room had to be on the first floor. It only made logical sense to her. But then again with this castle of a home who knows where anything was. Deciding to take the hall opposite of where the sitting room was, she started off in that direction when she heard a clatter from behind her. She looked over at the side of the grand staircase but could not pinpoint where it had come from. As she turned to keep going in the direction of the hall she heard another sound. With her interest piped up ,she wandered over to the side of the staircase. She heard some weird shuffling sounds and as she placed her ear to the wall it sounded like it was coming from within the wall. 'What could be under the stairs?' she wondered. 'It couldn't be mice or anything right? Fancy places like this didn't have mice. Or did they?'

Keeping her ear pressed against the wall she started to move down it, hearing the sounds getting louder. She sat there for a moment listening really hard to the shuffling. It didn't sound like mice. She pulled her ear way from the wall and looked around to see if she could figure out just where the sounds were coming from. She wandered around the foyer trying to pinpoint the sounds but they only seemed to be coming from underneath the staircase. She went back over to the wall where she had heard the shuffling the loudest and was about to put her ear against the wall again, when the wall suddenly jumped out at her smacking her really hard in the face.

Before she knew it she was flat on her back and her world was spinning around her. She tried focusing but everything seemed to spin faster and things were starting to get fuzzy. She did notice a chocobo hovering above her before her world around her went black.


	3. What happened to the bird

Chapter 3: What happened to the bird?

Even though everything around her was black, she felt like she was floating on a cloud. Tifa could not recall a time in her life where she had felt so comfortable. She felt so warm, safe and cozy. She did not want to open her eyes. She just wanted to lay there in comfort a little bit longer. Finally, she slowly opened her eyes to find herself in a large, glamorous bed, in a large, glamorous room that she did not recognize. Instantly that warm fuzzy feeling was gone. In its place was a sense of dread and panic. Just where in the hell was she? Her heart was ramming against her chest and it suddenly got very hot.

She tried to calm herself down and see if she could remember anything that might give her a clue as to where she was. She remembered Rufus suddenly asking her to go to his parent's house for the winter break and meeting his parents. It was then she remembered those weird sounds coming from underneath the staircase. Suddenly she recalled the wall popping out at her, knocking her out. Before she passed out she remembered seeing a chocobo hovering above her.

Feeling a tad bit better remembering what happened, she assumed she was probably in a guest bedroom. Maybe this was the temporary bedroom for her to stay here at the Shinra home. She looked around the room to try and get a bearing on everything when she noticed her suitcases neatly stacked in the corner of the room.

She was about to get up and explore the room when she heard a knock at the door. The door opened slightly and Rufus's head peeked through. Seeing that she was awake and sitting up on the bed he slipped into the room closing the door behind him. "Hey there Tifa. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay."

"Good, you took a bump to the head. I'm glad you're alright." Looking confused at his last statement, she reached up touching her head, wincing at the pain from the bump that was surely there. Rufus made his way over to the bed and took a seat, taking a look at her bump. "Well it doesn't look to bad."

"The bird!" Tifa suddenly exclaimed when she remembered the bird hovering above her before she passed out.

"What?"

"The bird! What happened to the bird?"

"What bird? What are you talking about?"

"The bird! You know, the chocobo! The one that hit me with the wall. What happened to the bird?"

"Tifa, I don't know what you're talking about. There is no bird, or chocobo around here."

"But I saw a one… a chocobo before I passed out…"

"Hmm, you must have hit your head a little bit harder than we thought. I will have the family doctor come and look at that bump on your head just to be safe. Look, I don't know what happened to you but there was no chocobo. All we heard was my brother screaming and cussing when we walked out into the foyer to find you unconscious on the ground."

"Your brother?"

"Yeah, my brother. That rather rude, unmannered jerk was freaking out about hitting you with his door. We brought you up here to your room and he left."

Tifa looked at him confused. Rufus had never mentioned a brother before. "You have a brother?"

Rufus simply sighed and shook his head in annoyance. "I just said that, didn't I? Jeez Tifa, you really need to work on your listening skills."

She couldn't believe he just said that to her. Slightly raising her voice she stated, "My listening skills are just fine." Getting out of the bed with a slight stumble, she calmed herself and tried to explain. "I was just in shock that you have a brother. You never once have mentioned a brother."

"What's the big deal? It's just my younger brother. He is no big deal. He's sort of the black sheep of the family. Don't even worry about him."

Tifa looked at him with a perplexed look on her face but simply gave him a nod. Why did Rufus just tell her all of that? Did he and his brother not get along? Tifa couldn't help but wonder what was wrong with his brother. And soon she couldn't help but wonder about what his brother was like.

After a couple of minutes of just watching his girlfriend pace around her room, he got up off her bed. "Well you look perfectly fine. Should I still have our family doctor come and check up on you?"

Seeming surprised by the sound of Rufus's voice suddenly, she stumbled for a response. "Uh... Um, no. I don't think that is necessary."

"Alright then. Well listen, my father has a big business meeting tonight at this local restaurant. It's sort of a big occasion and my father wants me to be there. So you have just a couple of hours to get ready for dinner alright. It's a nice restaurant so please dress in something nice, alright."

"Oh, okay."

With that Rufus just walked out of her room closing the door behind him. Tifa stood there in bewilderment. First was Rufus trash talking his brother, making her feel that this guy must be the worst guy in the world and then there was him suddenly dropping the news she had to go to dinner with his dad. With a sigh, Tifa rubbed her temples. She could feel a headache coming on already.

She decided to explore the room a little before she had to start to get ready for dinner. The room painted a magnolia blossom white color and had intricate zinnia gold borders designs with white and brown trimming. The room had hardwood floors with a giant off white and gold rug. The windows were colossal and from them hung large gold curtains. The curtains where pulled back to reveal another set of sheer white drapes. In the center of the room hung a massive glass chandelier with matching lights along the walls. In front of one of the windows was a beautiful white and gold trimmed vanity. On either side of the vanity was two white setteev sofas, open on one end and trimmed in a beautiful wood. In the center of the room, against the wall, was her bed. It was a king sized canopy bed. It was white and had gold designs up the four post, which held up the cream colored canopy. The sheets were also a cream color and had four small golden pillows on top of the regular pillows. At the foot of the bed was a small white chest. The bed also had two small antique nightstands on each side of it. To the other side of the bed was a white and gold wardrobe cabinet. On the opposite side of the room was a giant walk in closet. To put it into simple terms, it was a room fit for a princess. Tifa felt as if she were in Belle's room after the beast turned back into a human and took the spell of the castle.

Tifa felt like she was living a fairytale life right now. She walked over to her suitcases and picked one up to feel that it was extremely light. Frowning, she took it over to the bed, placing it down and unzipping it. When she found that it was empty she slowly shuffled over to the wardrobe opening it cautiously. Inside she found that all of her clothes had already been unpacked and put away into it.

Trying to ignore the disturbing feeling that someone was touching her personal undergarments, she tried to figure out what she was to wear to this business dinner tonight. Now, what did Rufus say about wearing to the dinner? Tifa was just so caught up in the beauty of her room that she had forgotten the conversation she had just minutes ago. 'Oh yeah, wear something nice,' she thought to herself. Now to the task at hand, an outfit fit for the occasion. She hadn't expected to wear something suitable for a fancy restaurant.

Tifa had spent forever and a day looking through every one of her different outfits. She finally landed on a small black dress. It was simple black dress. It had a sweetheart neckline and it ended just above the knee. There wasn't much to the dress but she figured a classic black dress might be appropriate for this occasion. She hated wearing heals but she didn't think she could get away wearing flats so she decided on a pair of black pumps. She had only worn them once and she was dreading wearing them tonight. The still haven't been properly broken in and they were going to hurt like hell. At least it was just dinner, so she would be sitting down nearly the entire time and for that she was thankful for.

She looked at the time on her cell and she figured they would be leaving for the business dinner soon so she had to get ready. She dressed herself in her black dress but waited on the heels. She sat down at her vanity and pulled out her makeup bag. She never really wore makeup but she had some for those few occasions where it was needed and this one was definitely one of them. She put a little foundation on underneath her eyes to cover up the little bags that were there. She had put on just a little bit of a silvery gray eye shadow but not too much as she wanted to keep it simple like the dress. Lastly was her mascara that made her lashes look a little bit longer seeing as her eyelashes were already really full. Having no idea what to do with her hair she just left it down. The last piece to the outfit was her teardrop earrings that belonged to her mother. It was by far one of her most treasured pieces. It was her only way on keeping her mother close with her.

Tifa was giving herself one last look over when she heard a knock at her door. She turned to the door to see Rufus popping his head through the door. She smiled when she saw him and gave him the okay to enter.

He walked over to her and gave her a brief smile. "Are we almost ready for dinner?"

"I think I am ready. Just have to put on my shoes." Tifa got up from the vanity and walked over to her shoes when Catherin walked into the room.

"Well are we ready for dinner?" Rufus nodded his head and Tifa walked up to Rufus after she had put on her shoes and grabbed her leather jacket. Catherin frowned at Tifa slightly. "Is that what you are wearing my dear?" Tifa looked down at herself, then back to Catherin only to nod with a worried expression on her face. Catherin smiled then grabbed Tifa's hand to pull her out of the room and down the hall. "You look good my dear, but let me just fix you up a little."

Catherin dragged her down the hall to what Tifa assumed was her bedroom. Once inside Catherin brought Tifa over to her vanity and sat her down on the stool. Catherin disappeared into her closet only to come out a few minutes later with a long satin coat in one hand and box in the other. She placed her coat on the bed and walked back over to Tifa placing the box onto her vanity. Immediately, she turned Tifa toward the mirror and grabbed a brush. "You know I used to not know what to do with my hair when I first started dating my husband. I had no idea what to wear, what to say, or what to even do. You learn as you go my dear. It's good that you have me my dear. I was in the same position you are at one point."

Tifa just stared into the mirror as Catherin continued to talk and do her hair. Tifa liked her. She wasn't like Rufus's father at all. She had a soft, kind, motherly tone that made Tifa feel really safe and warm. Tifa just couldn't understand what she saw in that man. He didn't seem like a nice man. Catherin seemed like the perfect wife though. She seemed loyal, and always there at her husband's side, to care for him when he needed it.

Before Tifa knew it Catherin had done a simple yet elegant updo on her. Tifa looked surprised when Catherin had presented it to her. She slowly reached for her hair lightly touching it but pulled her hand away for fear that it would fall apart if she touched it more. Catherin giggled when she saw Tifa's reaction, and then sprayed her hair lightly with some hairspray. "This hairspray is the best I found. Your hair will stay up even through a tornado."

Tifa giggled at her comment. She again reached for her hair. She turned around in her seat and smiled thankfully at the woman. Catherin smiled before going into the box she had brought out of the closet earlier, digging for something. Tifa looked at her curiously before she took out a beautiful diamond necklace. Catherin latched the necklace around her neck and smiled. "This was the necklace I wore the first time I went to a business dinner. Hopefully it will bring you as much as luck as it did for me."

A soft smile formed on Tifa's face. She was so touched by Catherin's act. Without even realizing what she was doing, she twirled the necklace in her fingers delicately. "Thank you so much!"

Catherin smiled, nodding as she did so. She grabbed Tifa's hand and guided her over to the bed, grabbing the long coat she had grabbed from the closet. She handed the dresys coat over to Tifa and with a warm smile said, "Here, this coat goes better with such a pretty dress."

Tifa happily accepted the coat, quickly taking off her leather jacket in exchange for the dressy coat. Rufus walked into the room with an inpatient look across his handsome face. "Are we ready yet? We really need to get going so that we are not late to the meeting."

Both women smiled and nodded at the man. The threesome walked out down to the foyer to find Mr. Shinra standing completely dressed for the cold air. He didn't seem to notice the three walking down the stairs as he checked his wristwatch for the seventh time that night. Finally looking up and seeing the three there, he let out a grunt, muttering a "Finally" to himself.

The two couples left the house quickly and headed out to the car. They weren't taking Rufus's car, deciding on the luxury SUV, sitting on top of 24 inch Forgiato Sedici wheels, to give them more room. Mr. Shinra drove the SUV with his wife in the passenger seat, while Tifa and Rufus sat in the back seat. Rufus's parents happily talked amongst themselves the entire ride there about different things, including the thoughts on the meeting tonight. Rufus just sat to Tifa's left completely silent, waiting patiently just to get to the restaurant. All the while Tifa sat nervously in her seat.

She was a total wreck on the inside; she just hoped she didn't look like that on the outside. She couldn't help but be nervous for the dinner. She had no idea what to expect or how to act. She just hoped that these business men were not as stuck up as Rufus's father. She could really use a support system right about now. It was at this moment she wished her best friend's father didn't drag Yuffie back home for the break, and that she could be with her at this very moment.

Tifa then distracted herself thinking about her best friend. She loved her best friend and was wondering just what she was doing now. She wondered if Godo had already dragged his daughter home. Yuffie was a cocky, young, mischievous thing, but in the long run she was the best friend Tifa could have ever hoped for. She was a very loyal friend, and always there for her. Tifa giggled when she remember Yuffie always threatening to kick "Richy Rich's" ass if he dare to hurt Tifa. She just wanted her best friend here with her. She made a mental note to go and kick Godo's ass for taking away Yuffie in her moment of need. A girl always needs her bestie's support when she is meeting her boyfriend's parents for the first time.

Rufus looked over at his girlfriend to see her brows twisted in concentration. No doubt she was in deep thought. But what exactly was she thinking about? Rufus studied her for a few minutes before he decided something was wrong with her. He reached over placing his hand on her thigh and giving it s soft squeeze. Tifa, who had been too wrapped up in her own head to notice that Rufus had been staring at her, turned her head in surprise from the sudden contact.

Tifa couldn't believe that she was just so caught up in her head that she didn't notice that Rufus must have been staring at her. Tifa immediately felt herself relax at his comforting gesture. This is one of the reasons Tifa loved him so much. A touch was enough to help her calm down. It was a comforting thought that he was worried about her. She smiled at him and leaned forward for a kiss. Rufus, of course, couldn't deny a kiss from such a beautiful woman.

Tifa gave him another smile before turning her head to stare out the window. She didn't want to worry Rufus anymore so she decided she was going to try her best to remain calm and not fret about this business dinner meeting.

Before she knew it, the car had pulled into the parking lot of some fancy looking restaurant. They circled the parking lot at least five times looking for a spot up close. Tifa couldn't understand why they couldn't park in the back and walk up to restaurant. But Mr. Shinra stated that he will always get the best and he would wait for the best parking space. Finally, they found a parking space right in front of the doors.

They quickly got out of the car and nearly dashed for the door. Once inside, they stopped at the door to speak to a man who quickly escorted they four to a long table where there sat four older men and their wives. The men immediately stood up greeting Rufus and his father, while the women got to greet Catherin with kisses to the cheeks. After the initial greetings, everyone took a seat at the table while Tifa and Rufus remained standing. After clearing his throat, Rufus announced to the group, "Ladies, Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to my beautiful girlfriend Tifa Lockhart." Tifa exchanged pleasant greetings with the group before Rufus pulled out her chair for her and helped her into her seat, then taking a seat himself.

The chatter amongst the men and women started almost immediately, the men talking business talk and the women about all sorts of things that involve being married to rich business men. Tifa felt misplaced. She had nothing to add to the conversations the men and women were having. So to keep herself busy, she started thumbing through the menu. She felt like she was reading the menu in a different language. Nothing on here seemed remotely familiar one the menu. Whispering to Rufus, she asked, "What are you having to eat?"

Rufus didn't seem to hear her, he was too wrapped up in the conversation that he was having with the other men. With a sigh, she continued to look over the menu but was at a complete loss at what to pick. A server appeared at the table within the next minute to take everyone's orders. When it was Tifa's turn to order, she stared at the server blankly before Rufus stepped in and ordered for her. Tifa squeezed his hand under the table giving him all her thanks.

When the food arrived just stared at it. It did not in the least bit appetizing, it was snails. Who in the world ate snails? She looked around the table to see that almost everyone had some snails. "It's called escargot. Tifa, eat it. It is delicious," Rufus whispered to her.

Deciding to give it a try Tifa picked up the first snail and just looked at it. She for the life of her could not figure out how to eat it. She looked around to see everyone else using some tong things that looked like it was really a torture device. She picked up the tongs and couldn't quite figure out how to use them. She was glad everyone was wrapped up in their own conversations to notice her attempting to figure the tongs out. As she tried to put her first snail in the tongs, the snail slipped right out of her hands, rolling under the table. She looked around to see if anyone saw, which they didn't, and tried to grab the snail. It was out of her reach so she tried with her leg but only succeeded in pushing it further from her reach. Sliding further up her seat she tried as hard as she could to reach it. It still out of her reach she scooted to the edge of her seat, struggling to reach that blasted snail.

With all her weight on the edge of the chair, it wasn't long before the legs of the chair gave weight and the chair went flying upwards, sending her crashing downwards on her bottom. The entire restaurant went silent and everyone at the table looked down at the girl on the ground in shock. After a moment of complete silence, some of the business men and others in the restaurant started to chuckle. The heat rose to Tifa's face and Rufus had a great look of embarrassment on his face, although he couldn't be as embarrassed as she was.

Rufus quickly pulled Tifa to her feet and retrieved her seat. She sat back down in her seat and didn't look at anyone. She couldn't even dare to look up. She seat there looking at her plate and not saying a single word. She didn't even say a single word the rest of dinner and barely even touched her food that was served to her. Sadly, dinner didn't go by as fast as she would have wanted but the end of the night eventually came.

As the men said their goodbyes, Tifa rushed putting on her coat. She couldn't get out of that damn place any faster. Tifa nearly ran for the car the second the exited the building leaving the rest of her party behind her. She stood impatiently at the car door waiting for Mr. Shinra to use his key to remotely unlock the door. The second he did so, she jumped into the SUV as fast as she possibly could.

The ride back was an extremely quiet one. Rufus's parents didn't even say anything to each other. Tifa wouldn't have wanted it any other way though. She didn't quite feel like talking to anyone right now. She just wanted to get back to their house and run up to her room and stay in there for the rest of the break. She knew that she was just being silly, and maybe was overacting to what happened but she couldn't help it. She had made a fool of herself in front of everyone in that restaurant. She blew it and she knew it. She could tell that Rufus was upset with her and she really didn't want to face him right now. And if she hadn't blown it with his parents already, she surely had now, especially with his father.

Finally after what seemed like an ice age they pulled into the driveway. After shutting off the engine Rufus's parents got out of the car and headed for the house. Tifa would have beaten them to the punch if Rufus hadn't placed his hand on her thigh and had her sit back until they left. Tifa just couldn't handle it. She just wanted to go to bed and get this horrible day over.

"Listen, I did a lot of thinking about what happened at the restaurant and I want you to know that I don't blame you for what happened. How were you supposed to know that the chair you chose was a faulty one…"

Tifa couldn't believe what she was hearing. He simply thought that it was the chair and not her. Suddenly she felt a little better. Hopefully his parents were thinking the same thing. She would let them think that. She couldn't possibly tell Rufus that she was the one to make the chair tip out from underneath her because she was trying to get some of her dinner off the floor.

They got out of the car and headed into the house. "Listen, let's just get some sleep and forget this day happened okay? Hopefully tomorrow will be better." With those final words he kissed her goodnight and left for his room.

Tifa was more than happy to follow through with his plan on resting and hopefully what he said was true. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

**Authors note: Yay! Chapter three is done! I just want to thank everyone who read it and for reviewing, or favoriting this story. Thank you preettygabbysz, ReNeVIerE07, and sunflowerspot. It is you guys who keep me going.**

**Sunflowerspot, he really doesn't listen to her haha. And I agree, a chocobo is surely the better choice lol. Sorry guys, there is still no Cloud yet. But I do promise that he will be in the next chapter making his grand entrance! **

**Thank you guys again! Review and stuff haha. I hope you liked it! **


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